One of the most enticing credentials that hackers desire is your credit card number, along with its expiration date and the code on the back. Hackers are also willing to go great lengths to achieve their goal of stealing these credentials, even so far as to make physical changes to automatic teller machines (ATMs) to do so. In fact, hackers will often install skimming devices on ATMs that are so subtle that they can be difficult to detect.
While many youngsters enjoy it when their school shuts down, this was likely not the case in Flathead Valley, Montana, where the cybercriminal group ‘TheDarkOverlord Solutions’ targeted the entire Columbia Falls school district. This attack caused the three-day closure and otherwise disrupted over 30 schools, and the personal information of teachers, students, and school administrators was supposedly to be released if the group didn’t receive a ransom payment.
Regardless of your feelings on the matter, the 2016 United States presidential election was an extremely divisive one--in no small part, due to the suspicion that the outcome of the election may have been significantly influenced by hacked voting machines. This uncertainty has led to some states making strides to ensure that their technology will no longer be responsible for such doubts.
In the wake of the Equifax data breach, which placed the personal information of 143 million users at risk, the issue of data security is at the forefront of social consciousness. Your organization needs to go about its daily business as if it will experience a data breach at any given moment. This involves looking at the worst-case scenario, and planning for it so that you’re never caught unaware.
The holidays are approaching, whether we are ready for them or not. With the holidays comes time off, which means that it’s awfully easy to fall behind post-vacation. Another concern is the amount of identity theft and credit card fraud that comes about during this time of year. We’ll discuss some of the many ways that your organization can take advantage of technology this holiday season without putting yourself in harm’s way.
Do you know what a botnet is and how it works? It’s basically a network of infected computers that can be used to perform Distributed Denial of Service attacks, overloading target networks and forcing them to endure downtime. They can also be used to distribute malware and other threats. What’s worse than this, you ask? Hackers can purchase botnets on the black market to use against their targets, but a new type of botnet strain is changing the way this works.
In 2016 former President of the United States Barack Obama passed the Cybersecurity National Action Plan that implemented near-term action and developed a longer-term strategy of bringing awareness and protections to public computing systems connected to the Internet. The strategy is to make an immediate effort to empower citizens to protect their own privacy, while also maintaining public safety and national and economic security, as many of the most critical systems this nation utilizes are networked on the web.
The use of mobile and personal devices for work purposes can be beneficial to your business operations. When handled, and supported properly, they have been shown to improve communication methods and increase productivity. However, the popularity of mobile computing, as well as the Internet of Things’ rapid expansion, means it’s more important than ever to make sure that you don’t allow dangerous devices to access your network. To keep your network safe, there are a few Mobile Device Management best practices that you should begin enforcing.
Phishing scams have been popping up for years--their most infamous attack vector has even become a punchline: some long-lost relative stuck in a far-off country suddenly reaches out, offering riches, but only if so-much money is provided first. People from all walks of life have been duped by these scams, and while not all of them are this transparent, most are pretty easy to spot.
Chances are that you’ve seen quite a lot of stories on the Internet, or in the news, about the many security threats out there. Some of these, including ransomware, exploits, and reluctance to update software, might fly over your head if they’re not part of your everyday business vocabulary. Knowing what these terms mean is of the utmost importance in today’s workplace. We’re here to help you understand what some of these security terms mean for your organization.
Spam. It’s detrimental and all businesses have to deal with it. But many don’t know the first thing about how to identify it, or how to work around it. The truth of the matter is that spam can be dangerous for your organization if it’s not dealt with properly, but dealing with it can also be a major waste of resources. We’ll walk you through what constitutes spam, and how you can identify it from legitimate messages in your inbox.
Security is a major concern for anything successful, and television programming is no different. Game of Thrones, the BBC’s epic production based on George R.R. Martin's book series A Song of Ice and Fire, has always been concerned with their security--and with the television series overtaking the book series, that concern has only grown as the production has brand new secrets to keep safe. As a result, the production has seen a steady increase in security.
If you let your employees use their own devices for work purposes on the company network or wireless Internet, you might be seen as “the cool boss.” Your employees love this privilege, but this can be a dangerous practice if done so without moderation. Here are some of the many benefits that your organization can reap from a well-thought-out BYOD policy, as well as some of the pitfalls you could fall into if you’re not careful.
Business has become such a competitive endeavor that those who deprive themselves of the latest and greatest technology solutions could be at a serious disadvantage--namely in terms of productivity and security. A new study shows that there is a direct relationship between businesses that run older versions of operating systems and web browsers, and businesses that fall victim to data breaches.
When implementing a new project, expectations run high and deadlines must be met. The temptation is to feel so pressured to get the project finished that the planning phase is rushed. If even a small detail is overlooked and a shortcut is taken in this early stage, it can come back to bite you in a major way--perhaps even derailing the project altogether. This is especially the case for an IT project.
It can be challenging and costly to maintain your business’ network system, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. A managed service provider can help your business achieve all of its technology-related goals, including regular network maintenance. You might be surprised by how many benefits proactive network maintenance can provide for your organization.
When a security researcher tweeted about what they thought was “the worst Windows remote code exec” in his memory, a recent incident came to mind: one that allowed a targeted file to implement remote code execution processes in order to manipulate any infected system. This vulnerability let the infected machine spread the issue to others and could be set off if a certain file were to be scanned by the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine. Scary stuff!
You don’t have time to worry about managing your email solution, but it’s still a vital aspect of your business’s operations. You never know when someone will fall for a spam message, and you certainly can’t look over the shoulders of each employee to make sure they don’t. What’s the busy business owner to do? How can you get quality email management without it eating up too much time and effort on your part?
